The Hope King of Kou
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: The kingdom of Kou has finally begun to prosper eighty years after the death of the previous ruler under the guidance of the new king and kirin. However, bad luck once more strikes the ruler Kou and leaves quite a mess.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The new ruler of Kou, the Hope-King, has been established. Eighty years after the previous king died, the kingdom is returning to something resembling prosperity. Until bad luck once again strikes a ruler of Kou.

Warning: Nothing.

Disclaimer: I own plot, original characters, etc. Everything else isn't mine.

This is probably going to be a short story, just something I had in my head after reading the novels and watching the anime. Not meant to be really political, just a fun thing to read. I hope I got the characters' personalities right. Enjoy!

* * *

"Kouki, haven't the advisors reached a decision yet in regards to this matter?" the Hope-King of Kou demanded, tossing a file onto the desk in front of her in disgust. Her kirin, who had turned out to be a rare white kirin with long, blindingly-white hair, shook his head.

"No, your majesty. I'm afraid they're waiting for you to say something on the matter," he replied, making a face at the idea. He had found the new ruler of Kou after fifty years of strife had passed, bringing the new ruler to power in a rush of pomp and law. The daughter of a merchant situated in Sai, but born in Kou herself twenty years ago, the new king had quickly adapted to what she viewed as a grander version of mercantilism, much to the country's relief. Now, after thirty more years, the country had slowly begun to adapt and repair the damage that had been done.

"Of course they are. After I already told them to decide amongst themselves," Hisayo - having been named for the change she would hopefully bring - sighed, shaking her head. Her hair, a rich auburn color, was done in a simple braid at the moment, while her deep violet eyes were tired and slightly puffy. "Honestly, can't they choose who should be the next governor of the province themselves?"

"Your majesty ought to have some say in the matter," Kouki insisted, appearing in his early twenties, silver eyes striking against his skin, which was - surprisingly enough - a normal tone for a white kirin. "Just because you appointed all the ministers doesn't mean they should have free rein on these matters."

"I know that! I just want to make sure the fools can actually do something on their own for once," Hisayo grumbled, having meticulously attacked the business of ruling for the entirety of her reign. She had been lucky in the fact that no ministers had survived the previous king's fall, and so was able to handpick her advisors and ministers with Kouki's aid. She rested her chin in her hand with another sigh.

"Is there a message I can give to the ministers?" her kirin finally asked, after several long moments of silence had passed. Hisayo nodded, looking suddenly cheerful - a look that always made the kirin worry.

"Yes. You can inform them that I believe that Daichi would be an excellent choice for the governor of Ki province," she began, getting to her feet and moving to stand at the window, gazing at the sea of clouds beneath them. "You may also inform them that I am going to visit En-ou for a bit to receive more lessons in the business of kingship," she continued, smiling over her shoulder at Kouki. "It's only for a few days, so stop looking so depressed."

"But, your majesty," Kouki began to protest, but sighed when she moved to pat him on the shoulder, having to stand on her toes to do so. She wasn't very short - 5'5" - but the kirin had matured to slightly over six feet tall. "I just don't think it's a good idea," he finally said.

"It's a fine idea. I need a break and the ministers need to learn how to walk. Just supervise them and I'm sure it will turn out perfectly fine," she assured the kirin, turning away again after another pat. "Have my sekifuu readied for the trip," she added, retreating into a side chamber to change into traveling clothes. She knew En-ou didn't like fancy outfits and that was fine with her, as she didn't either.

* * *

"Genei Palace always looks so impressive," Hisayo thought out-loud with a sigh, patting the sekifuu's neck absently, her hair tied into a high ponytail as Shouryuu and Sekishi were apt to do. She wore a short indigo gown over black pants and shoes, having a change of clothes in the pack slung on her saddle - in case of a kingly emergency, so said her sarcastic kirin.

"Kouki told me you were coming," the Saiho of En greeted her dryly, hands on his hips as she landed on the balcony. "You could have asked first, you know," he informed her, glaring at her as she got to her feet and handed the reins to a servant.

"Oh please, you know Shouryuu never minds me coming," Hisayo replied with a laugh, having grown used to the disrespectful kirin after a few meetings. "Besides, Kouki needed a vacation from his overbearing ruler."

"I'll bet," Enki muttered, following her into the palace before catching up and moving to her side. "You know you keep giving him excuses to slack off. He's already cancelled all of today's meetings," he continued, lecturing the woman relentlessly. "And some of them were important!"

"Stop nagging, Rokuta," the king of En laughed, meeting the two halfway down the huge hall. He grinned at the woman, rolling his eyes as his kirin seethed. "I'm sure Hisayo has heard enough from Kouki to last her a few days here, am I right?" he asked, turning to the other king with a wink. She responded with a laugh of her own.

"I'm afraid you're right. But Kouki agrees with me - those ministers need to learn that I'm not going to oversee every single detail anymore. Nothing will ever get done if I don't start delegating the work," she said with a sigh, falling into step with Shouryuu and Enki.

"I think I told you something like that twenty years ago," the man remarked dryly, cocking an eyebrow down at the woman. "But you're so damn picky…"

"I know, I know. I should've let them have more rein after I was established. But everything was _bad_," she fretted. "I couldn't help it! We're still trying to pay off the debt Kou owes to En for all the reconstruction, after all," she reminded them.

"Pfft. It was a friendly gesture of goodwill," Shouryuu replied with a dismissive wave, but Enki snorted.

"You idiot. If she lets the debt continue to grow, people are going to start asking what kind of ruler accepts handouts from others?" he informed the man with a frustrated sigh. "And that'll just lead to rebellion."

"Hey, no rebellions if we're doing our jobs right," the king replied with a cheerful laugh, but his kirin only growled in further frustration.

"It's okay, Enki, I fully intend to pay it all off, with interest," Hisayo assured him, clasping her hands behind her back as they entered one of the many rooms the king of En used to entertain guests.

"I won't be holding my breath," he grumbled.

* * *

"Ahh…nothing like getting to sleep late for once," Hisayo muttered, stretching luxuriously in her huge bed, canopies concealing her from any servants coming and going. She glanced out the small window and smiled as she saw the sea of clouds beneath her.

Extracting herself from the voluminous bed sheets, she wrapped a thin robe around herself, wearing a light gown, before entering the main room. A serving woman was already there, having prepared a meal for the king.

"I assume En-ou informed you of the time I like to sleep till?" Hisayo asked wryly, smiling at the woman. She only nodded her head and backed out of the room, however, and the woman sighed. "Oh well. I think I'll bathe before starting the day," she mused, gazing out the window as she ate the food. Ringing for another woman, she nodded back at the bow.

"Is there anything you need, Kou-ou?" the woman asked.

"Yes. I'd like to use the private baths outside today, it's such a pretty day," the king informed the woman with a smile. "If that can be arranged."

"Of course, Kou-ou. I will return when it is all ready for you." With that, the woman left the room, leaving Hisayo alone with her thoughts once more.

_"It's so nice to take a break. I haven't had one for ten years,"_ she thought with an audible sigh. The last time she had seen the king of En was on an official visit and wasn't fun at all. He had snuck to her palace the last unofficial 'visit', so she had considered it high time to pay him back.

"Poor Kouki, I'm sure he's having a hard time. I'll have to make it up to him when I get back," she mused, chin in her palm as she thought of her poor kirin. He had only scared her half to death when he had appeared at their house, asking politely to see everyone who lived there. And then when he bowed to her! Insanity broke loose at that declaration, several nobles arguing the fact that Kouki had decided to remain in kirin form on her return, after the debacle of Jo Ei and Keiki.

It had all been sorted out soon enough, but was a rocky start to her reign. It must have gotten everything out of the way, however, as she reflected on how easy it had been to manage Kou. _"Easy,"_ she though with a snort, considering the word relative. _"Well, compared to what Sekishi had to go through, I did have it easy after all,"_ she had to admit to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of the serving woman, and she looked up as the woman approached.

"If your majesty would please follow me, I will escort you to the baths," the woman firmly suggested. Hisayo nodded, wrapping her robe firmly around and stepping after the woman. They passed Enki, who paused and doubled back after a moment.

"And what are you doing at this hour? Shouryuu was looking for you earlier," he informed her.

"I can't see why, he knows I like to sleep late. What's the matter?" she asked, as he fell into step with her, the woman having a short lead on them.

"He wants you to attend a banquet with him this evening. There are a lot of officials and nobles attending and I couldn't cancel _that_ too," the kirin explained, sounding as if he had been made to try. "He figures as long as you're here."

"You wouldn't have happened to mention this to Kouki, did you?" Hisayo asked suspiciously, her thoughts turning to the change of clothes he had forced on her. Enki shook his head, however.

"Nope, I didn't know you were coming until afterwards. So?" he asked impatiently.

"All right. Let me go bathe and I'll meet Shouryuu afterwards for more information," she agreed, smiling at the kirin. Despite his attitude, she couldn't help liking him - Kouki was a bit like a mellow Enki, now that she thought about it. She shuddered at the idea of having her own personal Enki to torment her, but the kirin ignored her.

"Fine, I'll go tell him," he muttered, mumbling something about royalty under his breath as he stalked down the hall away from them. Hisayo shook her head in amusement, catching back up to the woman when she realized the servant had gained quite a lead on her.

* * *

"Here we are, your majesty," the woman told her, opening the door for the king. Hisayo smiled at the sight; flowering trees stretched out over the bathing pond, high screens shielding the section of the gardens from the sight of others.

"Thank you so much. I'd like some privacy, I'll ring for someone when I'm ready," Hisayo told the woman, gesturing slightly to the bell that would summon a woman when the king was done. The woman bowed, apparently unsure whether it was proper to leave the king alone.

"As you wish, your majesty," she finally said, shutting the door firmly behind her. Hisayo could have sworn she heard the woman lock it and smiled at the idea.

_"As if anyone would try to walk in on a king bathing. That would go very badly,"_ she thought, chuckling as she recalled the single time one of the sankou had accidently walked in on her bathing, not realizing they were interrupting. _"Kouki went absolutely berserk. I thought he was going to have a conniption." _The Hope-King laughed aloud at the memory before slipping out of her robe and gown, folding them on the back of a nearby chair.

Stepping into the warm water, she sighed in relief as her muscles began to finally relax. Knotting her hair up loosely, Hisayo closed her eyes and sat back, taking advantage of the opportunity of the luxury of having time to soak. The stress and worries seemed to melt away into the water; she was unsure how long she was soaking when a strange wind suddenly roused her from her doze.

"What's that?" she wondered, opening her eyes. She gasped at the sky above her, which had grown dark and twisted. The wind whipped around her, sending thousands of tiny petals into the pond around the king. Scrambling out of the pond, Hisayo braced herself against a tree as another strong gust threatened to knock her to the ground. Her hair came loose and knotted itself around her knees, having grown down to her calves.

The light faded as the sky grew even darker, the wind stronger. Hisayo made a desperate lunge for the door and ended up on her knees, gripping the trunk of a sapling to keep from being blown away. _"I have to get inside! This is a shoku!"_ she realized in fright, wishing Kouki was there.

"Hisayo!" a voice shouted. Looking up, she realized Shouryuu and Enki were in the doorway, holding on for their own lives in the twisting wind. With no regard for modesty, Hisayo tried to reach an arm out to grab the king's outstretched hand.

"Just a little more!" Enki urged her, fearing being blown as Taiki had been.

"I'm trying!" she yelled back, gritting her teeth and stretching her arm so far she felt her muscles protest. "I can't reach! Shouryuu, help!" she pleaded, trying to force her body to extend in order to grip his fingers. They seemed so close and so far away at the same time, frustrating them both to no end.

"Look out! Get back, Shouryuu!" Enki shouted, pulling his king back as the shoku suddenly erupted into a violent storm. Hisayo shrieked in protest as her fingers were pried from the sapling, her body dragged into the clouds before anything could be done to save her.

The sky lightened in seconds, all signs of the shoku erased except for the destruction to the garden - and the stolen king. Shouryuu and Enki stood still, jaws hanging open in disbelief, before the kirin turned to the man.

"It figures these things would happen to you," he remarked. The Ever-King could only groan and slap a hand over his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

All right, after extensive research, I determined that the royal treasure of Kou is unknown. So I made up my own and forgive the poor combination of Japanese words - the only truly reliable translators I could find used characters instead of actual letters, so I had a bit of a problem. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"I'm telling you, Chosi, I heard something down here!" Kaya insisted, the seventeen year-old student led her two male friends through the side street and down a narrow alley in the suburbs of Tokyo. A storm had just passed, catching the three friends on their way home from school, and the girl was positive she had heard a scream nearby.

"It was the wind," the boy protested, wanting to get home and eat something. The taller male shot him a look that meant it was pointless to argue. "Oh, fine, whatever," he grumbled, trudging after the others.

"When you see it was nothing, can we get a move on?" Hojo asked patiently, used to his twin's strange ideas. She sent him a dirty look over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out before heading down the alley. They lagged behind, exchanging eye rolls, before the girl shouted.

"There's someone here!" she yelled, causing the two to stop in surprise before running to meet up with the teenager. Pausing at the beginning of the alley, they saw Kaya at the end near several piles of trash bags, crouched next to a figure.

"Is it hurt?" Chosi asked, moving forward before he realized the figure was a naked young woman about their age with hair longer than any they had ever seen and strange eyes. "Uh, sorry," he mumbled, turning his back on them awkwardly. Hojo shut his eyes, rubbing his temples - he could just sense this was going to be trouble.

"Are you okay? What's your name? I'm Kaya," the girl introduced herself, helping the young woman to an awkward sitting position. The stranger stared at them with a frightened expression and they weren't sure she could understand them for a moment when she finally spoke.

"I'm…Hisayo," the woman told them, a strange lilting accent in her words. "Is this Hourai?" she asked suddenly, looking around with a frightened curiosity.

"Hourai?" Kaya repeated, the word strange on her tongue. "No, this Hamura, in Tokyo. Japan?" she asked, wondering if anything was going to ring a bell. The last word seemed to, as the girl brightened and nodded.

"Ah! I know, where Sekishi is from!" she said, seemingly recognizing something Kaya had said. She exchanged a glance with her twin, who was peering out between his fingers at his sister, and they both shrugged.

"Here, take this. Please," Hojo suggested, handing over his long school coat. Kaya took it and gave it to Hisayo, who managed to wrap it around herself after momentary confusion. "Thank god," he sighed, the two young men able to inspect the female without embarrassment.

"How did you get here?" Kaya asked. Hisayo blinked, then looked up at the sky.

"Didn't you have a storm? A shoku?" she asked, her gaze flickering between all three people. _"Being a sennin must allow me to communicate with them, like Sekishi was able to communicate in our world,"_ she realized, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, we had a storm. Why?" Chosi asked, not willing to believe what she was suggesting. "You don't mean a _storm_ brought you here?" he asked incredulously, snorting.

"Chosi!" Kaya scolded him, glaring at the young man before returning her attention to Hisayo. "Well, we can't just leave you here alone. Why don't we take her to Aunt Mei's place?" she suggested to Hojo, the idea occurring to her in an instant. "She'd take her in!"

"I need to talk to you," he said shortly, promptly dragging his sister away from the stranger and further down the alley so they could talk. "She could be on drugs! We don't know anything about her - she's obviously confused," he hissed in the girl's ear, but was brushed off with a shrug.

"Then we'll take her to the hospital. But she at least needs proper clothes!" she retorted under her breath, crossing her arms stubbornly. Hojo sighed, knowing he wouldn't win, and released his sister reluctantly. The girl rushed back to Hisayo, helping her to stand up.

"Are you hurt?" she repeated, but the woman shook her head.

"No, not much," she replied, knowing she had been lucky. She had never heard of someone being blown from her world to Hourai, just the other way around, and had no idea what was going on. _"Am I being punished by the Heavens for something?"_ she wondered suddenly, the idea making her go pale. If that was the case, there was no hope of rescue.

"You look a little pale. Come on, we'll take you to my aunt's house," Kaya told her, slinging her arm through Hisayo's to make sure the woman didn't go wandering off on her own. Chosi shook his head as he followed them out into the street.

"I'm going home. This is too weird right after biology. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school," he said, striding off in the opposite direction. They waved until he turned the corner, then returned their attention to the woman.

"Hisayo, was it? Do you have a last name?" Hojo asked, wondering if they could find a public record of her. The woman appeared stumped - in truth, she didn't have a last name anymore, but her former name resurfaced in her memory.

"Okado," she told them promptly.

"Hisayo Okado? All right then, come on then," Hojo ordered, leading the two girls to their aunt's house. He didn't want to attract too much attention, especially have a policeman question them, but luckily their aunt's house was only a few blocks way and they were able to take side streets to reach it.

* * *

"You're telling me you _lost_ my king?" Kouki shouted, having been called to En after the king and Saiho had gotten their bearings about the whole situation.

"Well, not really _lost_ We know she must be in Hourai," Shouryuu began nervously. Kouki was indeed mellow, but was all-too similar to Enki when riled. _Especially_ when he was mad. Like now, for example.

"How did she get in Hourai, you stupid bastard?" the kirin demanded, his eyes narrowed in anger. The kirin may be a peaceful, compassionate creature, but this one was hardly inclined to be those things at the moment. "And what were you doing when the shoku hit?" he continued.

"We went to find her when we realized what was going on," Enki informed his brother calmly. "We tried to grab her, but the winds were too strong. Shouryuu was actually fairly helpful, sort of. Has anything been happening in Kou?" he asked suddenly.

Kouki blinked, taking a moment to realize the implications of the question. "You mean, did the Heavens get rid of her? No!" he replied hotly. "Everything has been going fine! I'm not sick, as you can see," he added pointedly.

Shouryuu raised his hands in a gesture of peace, trying to calm the kirin. "All right, all right, relax. It's a simple job to get her back, isn't it? We can send Enki!" he suggested.

"Why me? It's _his_ ruler!" Enki protested, but his ruler snorted.

"He has to take care of the kingdom in her absence now," he began, but Kouki shook his head.

"No. I need to go find her," he said firmly. "The ministers believe her visiting here for a few days, so with any luck we can find her before any excuses need to be made for her absence. I would like Enki's help, however," he added. "Since he's so familiar with Hourai."

"Oh, fine, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice anyway," he said pointedly, crossing his arms in aggravation. "I have to go look for a lost king…" he muttered under his breath, striding from the room to prepare for another shoku. Shouryuu turned to Kouki with a sympathetic expression and rested his hand on the stressed kirin's shoulder.

"We'll find Hisayo again, don't worry." He began to leave the room, then paused when he felt the kirin's piercing stare boring into the back of his head. "Is there anything else?" he asked, and blinked in surprise when Kou's royal treasure was handed to him, Omoikanbojou - the Mind Diadem of Longing. A thin silver circlet, it possessed the ability of allowing it's wearer to communicate mentally with any person they chose, a useful tool for a ruler.

"I would appreciate it if you would hold onto this for the time being," Kouki requested. "If I bring it back to Kou, news of her majesty's disappearance would be impossible to keep quiet. So it would be very helpful if you could keep this in your close possession until we retrieve Hisayo."

"Of course," Shouryuu agreed with a nod, his hand closing around the seemingly-delicate circlet and tucking it into the folds of his robes to avoid detection. Kouki nodded in appreciation before striding down the hall to catch up with Enki, prepared to travel through the shoku with his brother.

* * *

"There, that's a lot better," Kaya said in satisfaction, she and her aunt having dressed Hisayo in modern undergarments and one of Mei's yukatas, Hisayo having refused to wear anything else.

"I have to agree," her aunt added. Hisayo twisted her hair loosely up and examined herself in the mirror, briefly making a face before turning to the other females and bowing low.

"Thank you for all your hospitality and generosity. It shouldn't be long before my friends come for me," she assured them, having merely said that her friends would find her and take her back home. She saw no reason to try to and explain to these people - they didn't seem like the type to believe her anyway.

"It's not a problem, child," Mei replied with a smile, Hojo having gone home after getting his sister safely to their aunts. "You can stay here as long as you need to. How old are you, by the way?" she asked. Hisayo began to answer her true age, then remembered her appearance.

"Twenty," she replied easily - technically it wasn't lying. _"If the Heavens have punished me, am I going to begin aging here? Or will I remain a sennin?" _she wondered, frowning slightly at the idea. _"No, I have to remain confident Kouki will come and bring me back to Kou,"_ she decided.

"I should be getting home, aunt," Kaya said, interrupting Hisayo's internal debate. "I'll come by after school to see how you are, all right, Hisayo?" she added, turning to the young woman.

"That's fine. Thank you again," she replied with a small smile. Kaya hugged her aunt before leaving the bedroom Hisayo was going to be in. The two women examined each other for a minute before Mei smiled again.

"I'm sure you're hungry after everything you've been through. Come, I'll get dinner started and you can tell me about yourself," she suggested, gesturing for the girl to follow her as she headed towards the kitchen. Hisayo trailed after her, sighing.

_"Tell you what? That I'm an immortal ruler of another world that you won't possibly understand?"_ she thought, then remembered several stories she had heard from Sekishi on the occasional visits in En.

* * *

"She stares up at the sky every night, no matter the weather," Mei told Hojo four weeks later. Her nephew had come to visit that night, only to find the young woman sitting on the back lawn, head tipped back to stare up at the stars.

"Is she still waiting for her friends to come?" he asked, moving back to kitchen, aunt trailing after him. She nodded, a worried frown creasing her brow.

"She's speaking less as time goes on. It's almost like she's forgetting everything around her," the woman told him. "I don't know what's going on in her head, Hojo. She isn't a bother - she cleans, cooks, anything I ask her to - but she's growing listless."

"Maybe she just needs a change of scenery," Hojo suggested brightly, determined not to worry. "Hisayo's been cooped up in here ever since she got here, after all. Kaya and I'll take her out tomorrow, so have her ready by eight. We'll show her around town, take her out for lunch. Maybe that'll perk her up."

"That sounds like an excellent plan, Hojo," Mei agreed, sighing in relief. "I'm just growing worried about the girl, that's all." They both glanced out through the window at the still figure, who hadn't moved for the past hour.

_

* * *

_

_"I know you're out there somewhere, Kouki."_ The thought turned over and over in Hisayo's mind as she stared at the stars, trying to will a shoku into existence. She was positive Enki would be searching as well, if not other kirins, after so much time passing. _"He wouldn't want to let people know I'm gone, but it's more important I'm found right now,"_ she decided, trusting in her kirin to make the right choices.

She blinked, feeling her eyes grow sore, and shifted to cross her arms over her bent knees. _"Why haven't you come for me yet, Kouki?"_ she wondered.

* * *

"Why is it taking so long?" Kouki demanded, meeting with Enki and Shouryuu in one of the king's favorite places to go in disguise. The kirin glared at the king, the loss of his king weighing heavily on his heart.

"Even finding Taiki wasn't so difficult. It should be easy to locate a king," Enki was forced to agree, having asked Renri to use the Gogoukanda and finding that it was unable to pinpoint the ruler's location. Taiki had recently left for Hourai to help in the search while the other two kirin tried to think of a better plan. Keiki had offered his services, but it had been decided that if any more kirin that left for Hourai it would cause too much of a disturbance, so his was a standing offer.

"Random searching obviously isn't doing any good. How's the situation in Kou, Kouki?" Shouryuu asked, and the kirin shook his head.

"Small rebellions are already rising up once they realized her majesty was missing. Even the fact that she was taken by a shoku doesn't help to reassure the people that their ruler is coming back," Kouki replied sourly. "The incident of Tai is still too fresh in their memories."

"Hey, we're doing all we can," Enki retorted. "I think we need to send another ruler to Hourai with Kouki. A sennin should be able to sense another -"

He was interrupted when a grin spread across Shouryuu's face. "I can do that. I'm a taika as well - that should help in sensing her presence," he suggested, raising a hand to silence Enki's protests. "Drastic times call for drastic measures, you both realize that. Kouki, I'll go through the next shoku with you tonight."

"Think of all the damage it will cause!" Enki began to protest, but Kouki shook his head.

"Not if we do it out in the middle Kyokai," Kouki interrupted his brother soberly. "I can ride En-ou to the middle of the sea and open the shoku there. It will cause minimal damage to any of the kingdoms that way."

Enki and Shouryuu's jaws both dropped open at the fact that Kouki had just volunteered to let the king ride on his back. No one rode a kirin - and even then, only the kirin's master was allowed. Even another ruler had no right. Kouki's face suggested that arguing would be useless, however.

"All right," Enki agreed with a sigh, sighing loudly. "I'll go find Taiki in the meantime and let him know he can return. We'll leave it to you two," he added. He made to leave the room, but froze when Shouryuu began to laugh.

"What're you talking about, Rokuta? You're coming too," he informed his kirin, who turned in horror.

"You're joking!"

"The ministers can handle things for a while. We'll need you in Hourai - the more the better," he reminded the two with a wave of his hand. Rising to his feet, the man stretched lazily and strolled past his stunned kirin, ruffling his hair on the way out. "Come get me when night falls, all right?"

The two kirin were left in an awkward silence. Kouki began to say something, but Enki cut him off quickly. "I don't think I want to hear it," he assured his brother. "Let's just find your damn king so life can go on, all right?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Kouki agreed with a thankful smile.

* * *

"You could have at least changed into normal clothes. I did bring some, you know," Kaya scolded the young woman, who had remained silent the entire trip around the city. They had returned to Mei's defeated, the niece offended about Hisayo's choice of clothing.

"I prefer these," she replied quietly, hands folded in her lap. Hojo poked his sister's arm with a frown.

"Hey, lay off," he hissed, shooting her a warning look. Kaya sniffed in response, but refrained from harping on the subject further. "What did you think of movie?" he asked hopefully, turning back to Hisayo. The woman only shrugged slightly.

"I didn't quite understand it," she admitted. "Thank you so much for showing me around the city, though," she added quickly with a smile. "I enjoyed seeing everything and learning more about Tokyo."

"I'm guessing you haven't been here before, then," Hojo said, in the tone of one who's seemingly defeated from sheer exhaustion. Hisayo shook her head patiently - she found it amusing that the twins treated her as if she was a child, when in reality she was old enough to be their grandmother.

"No, merely heard stories of it from a friend," she said, taking the liberty of calling Kei-ou a friend. "It's quite an interesting place."

"What about your home? What's it like?" Kaya asked suddenly, propping her elbows on the floor and staring at the woman intently. Hisayo started, not having expected that question, and she quickly thought of something to say.

"It's a troubled place," she said, choosing her words carefully. "We've recently had a lot of natural disasters and we're an agricultural society, so we're struggling right now." _"For the past eighty years,"_ she thought wryly, a bit disgusted that she hadn't been able to do more.

"That sounds harsh," Kaya remarked, trying to figure out where the woman might have come from. Japan wasn't big on agriculture, so it was doubtful she was actually from the country at all. "Were you smuggled here or something?" she asked, then yelped as her brother smacked her on the head. "What was that for?" she demanded.

"You don't ask stuff like that!" he shouted. The queen merely stared at them with a blank expression, trying her best to keep from laughing. "Sorry about my sister - I think maybe we should be getting home," Hojo said apologetically, hauling his sister to her feet after he rose.

"Thank you again," Hisayo replied, rising as well and bowing slightly. She followed them to the front door, a smile on her lips. "I hope you'll come by again soon," she added. Hojo grinned and nodded, ignoring his sister's complaints.

"Sure thing, Hisayo-san. Sleep good," he added, before turning and heading down the street back home, Kaya in tow. Hisayo shook her head in amusement before sliding the door shut - Mei had already gone to bed, she assumed, so she wandered back out into the yard. Heedless of the dewy grass, she settled herself on the grass and stretched out, closing her eyes.

_"Kouki…Shouryuu…what's going on?"_ she wondered, aware that her memories of her life seemed to grow more distant as each day passed. She wondered if the kaikyaku experienced this, but that didn't make sense. _"Sekishi still has her memories clearly…is this a side-effect of the shoku transporting someone from our world to Hourai?"_ she wondered.

Hisayo sat up straight as a strange breeze wrapped around her, staring at the moon as if waiting for something. She was forced to shut her eyes from the sudden force of the wind, which died away in seconds.

"Need a hand?" a familiar voice asked teasingly. She opened her eyes to see Shouryuu smiling above her, hand outstretched. Kouki and Enki were on either side, one looking relieved beyond belief and the other merely put out.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

A short ending to a short story - I warned you it was a short story. Expect some one-shots with Hisayo and company, though. I hope you all enjoyed this little piece from me!

* * *

"Shouryuu!" Hisayo shrieked, throwing herself at the other ruler without regard for formalities. The man stepped backward in surprise from the sudden weight, then returned the hug with more relief than he had shown. She quickly turned her attention to her kirin, however, embracing him and burying her face in his tunic. "Kouki…" she mumbled, on the sudden verge of tears.

"It's all right, Hisayo," he assured her calmly, his relief shown in the rare use of her name. Enki remained gratefully hug-less before the king realized he was there and gasped.

"You came too, Enki?" she asked in shock, before sharing the love she was showing to the other two nobles. "Thank you so much!"

"Hey, hey, get off. Go hug Taiki and Renri if you want, they were all helping too," he protested, trying to squirm out of her grip with little success. She did release him after another moment with a short laugh, straightening up and adjusting her robe.

"I'm sorry for acting like such a child," she began, but paused when Shouryuu rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It's all right. I'm sure it was a very hard thing to go through," he replied, his words reminding her of how the king had also been taken from his own world and tossed to another. "You ready to go home, though?" he added cheerfully, Enki sighing as he prepared the shoku, grateful to be released from the king's strong grip.

"Yes, very much so. I hope Kou hasn't gone to ruin while I've been gone," she worried, but Kouki shook his head.

"No, Hisayo. I took care of it. It has certainly forced your ministers to fend for themselves, I have to say," he added wryly, a smile playing on his lips. She grinned back before glancing to the house.

"I do need to say goodbye," she added, turning towards the house and stepping inside before the others could object.

"Women," Enki muttered.

* * *

To Hisayo's slight surprise, the noise outside had not woken the older woman from her sleep, so she decided not to either. Hoping her writing would translate itself into something legible, she wrote a quick note explaining her friends had returned for her and thanking them for all their kindness.

Placing the letter on Mei's bedstand, she bowed one last time to the woman before backing out of the room, quietly sliding the door shut. Striding back outside, she saw the shoku was close to opening, the wind already strong around them.

"Hold onto me, Hisayo," Kouki ordered, wrapping his arms firmly around his king before she had a chance to obey him. Shouryuu gripped her arm just as tightly as Enki glanced back to make sure they were all prepared - then the storm came upon them.

"That was a lot better than the last time. At least I have clothes," Hisayo remarked, picking herself up off the balcony floor of Shouryuu's palace. The others muttered various agreements, trying to straighten themselves out as well.

"En-ou!" Mousen shouted, rushing through the room to the balcony, followed by several other guards. "En-ou, are you all right?" he panted, stopping for breath as the party turned to stare at him.

"I'm fine, just had a bit of a ride," Shouryuu assured him with a dismissive wave of his hand. "No need to worry, I told you'd I be back, didn't I? Go fetch a few servants to prepare the baths for us," he ordered, effectively sending the guards away.

"We should return to Kou," Hisayo began, but the other king shrugged.

"What's the big deal? Kouki said they're managing all right, finally, so take the break you wanted and relax a while longer," he suggested, more of a command than suggestion. "I'll send an escort to return to you to Kou tomorrow with your kirin - it'll show we didn't kidnap you," he added with a grin.

"You shouldn't joke about things like that!" Enki informed him hotly, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.

"Aw, relax, Rokuta. It won't hurt anything," Shouryuu protested.

"What do you think, Kouki?" Hisayo asked, turning to her kirin with a grin that suggested she gave up trying to deal with Shouryuu on her own. The kirin thought for a moment before nodding his consent, a smile gracing his features.

"I think it's a fine idea, your majesty," he agreed with a brief nod. "After all, being sucked into a shoku isn't much of a vacation," he pointed out as servants began to approach them, bearing robes and towels for the nobles.

"All right, we'll stay another night," the king agreed, causing Enki to groan loudly.

* * *

"It feels good to be getting back to work," Hisayo mentioned, having returned to her palace the day before with a grand escort of Shouryuu's finest air troops - to make a point, he had said. Kouki looked up from the papers he was studying with a sort of grimace.

"If you say so, your majesty. I rather enjoyed it at Genei Palace, though."

"Even with Enki's remarks?" she asked teasingly, but the kirin only shrugged. The brothers treated each other in a different manner than they used with their kings, Enki especially. Omoikanbojou rested on the king's head once more, the crest in the middle in the center of her forehead.

_"I heard that!"_

_"You were supposed to, you rude little kirin,"_ she added in amusement. Enki only snorted in disgust before breaking the connection, having enough of the ruler for the time being.

"The ministers are still working on their paperwork, aren't they?" Kouki asked suspiciously, seeing the large pile of paperwork Hisayo had in front of her. She glanced over one of the stacks and nodded cheerfully.

"Of course. They get to do their share after that shock treatment," she informed him. "But it kind of built up while I was gone, all the paperwork that needs my personal seal," she added sheepishly.

"Of course it did, your majesty," Kouki agreed, rolling his eyes at his ruler.


End file.
